Tag Archives: Robert Siodmak

The Dark Side of the Screen

Although it can be traced to German Expressionism and French Poetic-Realism, Film Noir is quintessentially an American idiom. Not a genre but a mood, it centres on fatalistic dread.

311. Peeping Tom

Reviled upon its release and long out of circulation, the influence of Michael Powell’s Peeping Tom is now to be found in the most unexpected places.

295. The Silence of the Lambs

Jonathan Demme’s film is a classic because its Little Red Riding Hood plot mines the moral depths of its central characters.

273. Miller’s Crossing

The plot to Miller’s Crossing is so complex, it’s hard to even figure out where and when it is set. And that’s before we discuss the meaning of Tom Reagan’s hat.

247. The Killers (1946)

Ernest Hemingway hated what Hollywood did with his novels. The only film of his work he liked was this classic adaptation of his celebrated short story.

240. The Maltese Falcon

John Huston’s film of Dashiell Hammett’s classic novel was the third adaptation. How did he succeed where others had failed?

220. City of God

Adapted from Paolo Lin’s non-fiction novel, director Fernando Meirelles cast non-actors to capture life, death and everything in-between in Rio’s favelas.

173. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

How do you make a film about a character who can neither move nor speak, but can only blink his left eye?

158. The Big Sleep

How can Howard Hawks’ adaptation of Raymond Chandler’s labyrinthine detective novel be heralded as a classic when it is impossible to follow?

156. The Apartment

With six Oscars, five WGAs, a DGA and the Palme d’Or, Billy Wilder’s career was so blazing you’d be forgiven for saying, “Well, somebody’s perfect.”

The Silence of the Lambs

This video-essay on Jonathan Demme’s The Silence of the Lambs examines the phenomenon of looking and shows how central it is to the horror genre.


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